Position Summary

The Behavioral Health Resident provides quality clinical mental health consultation to providers and staff, through direct service in the Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultant (PCBHC) model, as fully integrated members of multidisciplinary care teams. Provides comprehensive diagnostic mental health and behavioral medicine services, including brief assessments, interventions, education, referrals and consultations, for culturally diverse, medically-underserved patients.

Provides support and training to care coordination staff with implementation of the Collaborative Care Model by ensuring the appropriate screening, assessment, and care management of patients with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Responsible for administrative tasks related to the Collaborative Care Model including monitoring the outcomes and quality of the program and completing necessary documentation, data analysis, and reporting.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Upholds the mission of Lawndale Christian Health Center, which is to show and share the love of Jesus by promoting wellness and providing quality, affordable health care for Lawndale and the neighboring communities.

Behavioral Health Consultation Activities

• Provides quality clinical consultation to providers and staff utilizing the 30 minute BHC model to diagnose, assess and treat a variety of mental heath disorders using DSM-5 diagnostic criteria under the supervision of a licensed Behavioral Health provider.
• Provides brief, solution-focused behavioral interventions with active development of behavioral change planning using the BHC model. Follow up is provided for patients referred via medical providers.
• Cultivates education, administration and self-management skills for targeted populations with psychological or behavioral health issues.
• Promotes medical providers’ knowledge of patient behavioral health issues and provides education to assist with enhancing primary care utilization of behavioral health interventions.
• Collaborates and co-manages the patient’s behavioral health care with consistent, expeditious feedback to referring providers and multidisciplinary care team.
• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary care team model to facilitate teamwork, and improve patient care, processes, and outcomes.
• Provides clinical consultation with and serves as a resource for colleagues in behavioral health department as needed. In turn, utilizes consultation and expertise of behavioral health team members routinely.
• May facilitate brief treatment groups with patients focused on education and skill building for the management of a variety of mental health issues for a targeted population.
• May provide training and guidance to doctoral or masters level trainees through live supervision and consultation of their clinical work under the supervision of a licensed Behavioral Health provider.
• Responds to on-site crisis intervention according to policy.
• Participates in weekly didactic trainings; attends monthly agency staff and department meetings.
• Utilizes electronic medical records to document the clinical behavioral health aspect of patient assessment/interventions in a timely manner.
• Maintains professional competence by pursuing opportunities for continuous learning, attending continuing education offerings, and reading professional literature in order to develop new knowledge and skills.

Collaborative Care Clinical and Administrative Activities

• Support and Train Care Coordination Staff in implementation of Collaborative Care Model
  • Help to develop tools and systems to support tracking of targeted patient groups on a patient registry.
  • Train the BH Care Coordination team as necessary to support effective workflow and improved outcomes in a collaborative care model.
  • Participate in Population Health team meetings, as needed.
  • Develop systems and tools to help the BH Care Coordination team or other care team members to facilitate patient engagement, provide patient education and monitor patients for changes in clinical symptoms and adherence to treatment plan.
  • Executing excellent communication and customer service to patients and staff.
  • Monitor Program Outcomes and Quality
    • Lead regularly scheduled caseload consultation with the consulting team psychiatrist and communicate resulting treatment recommendations to the patient’s PCP (under the supervision and guidance of supervising licensed BH provider). Consultation should primarily focus on patients who are new to treatment or who are not improving as expected.
    • Track patient engagement, follow-up, and clinical outcomes as reported by the BH Care Coordination team and through the analysis of clinical data.
    • Communicate on key program goals to help measure impact and compliance with funder expectations.
    • Complete any necessary programmatic documentation; work to develop reporting to help measure long-term impact of the collaborative care model.

Required Skills or Abilities

• Flexibility to adapt to changing or stressful conditions
• Good interpersonal skills are a necessity, including an ability to work well with the variety of ages, cultures, and temperaments represented among LCHC staff and patients, always treating others with kindness and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and set priorities in accordance with the needs and mission of the clinic.
• Demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication skills for communicating coherently and professionally with patients and co-workers.
• Familiarity with brief, structured intervention techniques (motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, etc.) when appropriate.
• Working knowledge of differential diagnosis of common mental health and substance abuse disorders.
• Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology for common mental health disorders that is appropriate within scope of practice.
• Conscientious of departmental and organizational policies and procedures, and able to embrace and personify the mission of the Lawndale Christian Health Center.
• Strong skills in diagnostic assessment using DSM-5 criteria.
• Ability to work with a culturally diverse group of people.
• Must be willing to work flexible hours as required by position.
• Fluency of Spanish language is a plus.

Required Knowledge, Education, Experience or Licensure/Registration

• Completion of Master’s degree in Behavioral Health related fields (i.e. clinical psychology, counseling) required, with two (2) years of directly related clinical experience preferred.
• Eligible to be licensed in State of Illinois as LPC with commitment to obtain LCPC licensure in Illinois.
• Knowledge in child, adolescent, and adult development as well as experience in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in psychopharmacology and behavioral health medicine is a plus, and willingness to grow in these areas is required.